Mechanical Engineering Major looking for postbaccs

[RuffKnight97]

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Hi,
I'm a current sophomore studying mechanical engineering and I recently decided to go all in on medicine. Since I started college, my main focus has been on medical devices and lots of my research/EC's do correlate well with the health field. Originally my plan was to fit in all of the prereqs with my major but after reasoning through it, I figured that this would be unnecessarily difficult and my GPA would suffer so my intentions switched to looking for post baccs. If all goes as planned, I'll end up with around 3.5-3.6 GPA when I graduate but my worry is that I have taken too many of the prereqs to be considered for the career changer post bacc programs (Bryn Mawr, Goucher, etc.). I have already taken both physics and labs and one semester of gen chem with both labs as required by my major. Additionally I have taken one semester of biology (out of interest) and orgo lab (ended up dropping orgo with a W when I realized I most certainly wouldn't be eligible for these programs if I completed it but never dropped the lab). So to complete prereqs I'll need:
1) Orgo 1
2) Orgo 2+lab
3) 2nd semester Gen Chem
4) 2nd semester Bio+2 semesters of bio lab
5) Biochem

Additionally, I'll likely need another semester of English as well as psychology/sociology for the MCAT. I guess my questions are,
1) Do I qualify for the career changer post baccs which require that a majority of my prereqs haven't been taken? I know that in terms of lectures I'm at about half but labs complicate things a bit.

2) If not, what should my plan of action be to complete the prereqs? I feel like I'm kind of in some kind of gray area between career changer post baccs and SMP post baccs. I haven't found any programs so far that accommodate for this.

3) What are some specific post baccs that I should look into?

4) I really would prefer to finish prereqs through a structured post bacc because of linkage opportunities, advising, etc. but would I be better off finishing the prereqs on my own?

Thanks!

 

[bears1992]

I did a mechanical engineering degree and I am finishing up my last semester of a DIY postbac. I didn't switch to medicine until after I graduated. Your GPA is good enough for MD so I would just worry about taking the prereqs at a 4 year college and not worry so much on a formal postbac. Most of the adcoms here say that a DIY postbac is viewed the same as a formal postbac.

Avoid taking the prereqs at a CC or online college because it will cut down on the amount of MD schools that you will be eligible for (some MD schools don't accept them). A 3.5 undergrad with a 3.8+ DIY postbac will not stop you from getting into MD.

 

[RuffKnight97]

Thanks for the reply! How exactly does a DIY work? Do state schools let you register for classes when you have no intention of finishing a degree and do you need to be accepted to these schools?

Regarding post baccs, before deciding on the DIY did you look into/know of any formal programs that are flexible for engineering students who have taken a good portion of the pre-reqs?

 

[bears1992]

Thanks for the reply! How exactly does a DIY work? Do state schools let you register for classes when you have no intention of finishing a degree and do you need to be accepted to these schools?

Regarding post baccs, before deciding on the DIY did you look into/know of any formal programs that are flexible for engineering students who have taken a good portion of the pre-reqs?

That is exactly how it works. I have a small local state school in my area (I did my first two years of undergrad there) and I just went in, explained that I was taking classes for med school. I sent over my transcripts and they set me up as a non-degree seeking student and let me register for whatever classes I wanted as long as I had the prereqs. I just signed up for all the prereqs on my own each semester. I ended up doing a semester of retakes because at the time DO schools had grade replacement (they don't anymore).I had to get permission from the dean of admissions to sign up for the retakes since I got a C before.

Spring 2016
Physics I
Physics II
Chemistry I

Summer 2016
Biology I
Biology I Lab
Chemistry II
Chemistry II Lab

Fall 2016
Organic Chemistry I
Organic Chemistry I Lab
Biology II
Biology II Lab

Spring 2017
Organic Chemistry II
Organic Chemistry II Lab
Psychology
Sociology

Summer 2017
Biochemistry

I don't know much about formal postbacs except that they are rather expensive compared to a DIY. I've heard that some medical schools have postbac programs that give you an automatic acceptance if you keep above a certain GPA and MCAT. Don't quote me on that though. You don't really need GPA repair so I would just focus on knocking out the classes. I doubt doing a formal postbac is going to help you anymore than a DIY postbac would.

Edit: The reason I chose a DIY over a formal postbac is because of cost and convenience. I work full time and a DIY let me set my own schedule.